Just saying .....

SO I have been enjoying Project Runway since it changed over to Lifetime. I had heard a lot about it and wished that I had Bravo... now it's on Lifetime and even though some people don't like it as well since it's move, it's fun!

BUT this season I'm annoyed by Heidi Klum's contradictory fashion sense. She's judging people's designs and clothes with this haircut......

And EVERYTIME I SEE IT I THINK ABOUT THIS ......

Now, I realize I have as much fashion sense as ...... well.... a 60 year old Mormon Woman BUT REALLY HEIDI? The Dorthy Hammell, Toni Tennille Haircut has .. GOT... TO ....GO!!!

...just sayin'

Kira's 3 and other late stuff

Kira turned 3... almost 2 months ago now... (SO late getting this but we have had computer problems and since I only blog off the desktop it's been a while coming)

She was VERY excited. We did an impromptu party with just a few friends (the only other kids there were Grayson and Sully who were 9 months and Trevor who was 10 months) We spent the day making cupcakes, shopping for a few decorations, cleaning the house and then waiting for friends to head over. We had cheese stuffed crust Pizza Hut Pizza (mmmmm) salad and cake... SUPER SIMPLE but a ton of fun.

Kira got some great things for her birthday but her favorite by far was the skateboard from GramJan and the Helmet that Jacob and I bought her to go with it. She tries to skate in our kitchen and ALWAYS wears her helmet! It's hard to believe that she's 3 already since time has just flown by!

Pretty soon she will be in actual Primary and NOT Nursery (which she is protesting a little bit) She is funny and stubborn and cute and smart.

Lately one of her favorite things to do is to tell stories about something that just happened and Usually starts these stories with, "REMEMBER?" She loves to sing and count and color and dress up. She can't wait to be Ariel for Halloween! She often get's out of trouble by saying, "But Moooommmmmm, I need a cuddle!" or "It's not okay to hit BUT it's okay to tickle right"?

Sometimes it's really hard to discipline her because she just so darn cute about it.

The potty training is going well and we have had very little accidents as of late. She asks every night before bed where we are going tomorrow and love to be out and looking around.

I just wanted to share this picture... she's actually sleeping here...

sometimes kids just amaze me

Also wanted to share these video of her singing with Lilac her little pony.... she's so funny!

I know the lighting isn't great but you can hear her which is all that really matters right?

Next entry should be about Uncle Butt and Aunt Amy's wedding here in Las Vegas... what a great day! 'til then....

September

September was a pretty crazy month for us! As you can see by my last post. I wanted to finish up with our September adventure.


On the third weekend down we get to attend the beautiful wedding of our friends Danielle and Mike. It was a wonderful ceremony. Jacob and I took a quick picture of them to finish out our wedding gift to them.(Wish I would have gotten a picture of it) and ran to Sam's Club to try to get it printed. We needed an 11x14. We put in the order then checked to see what time it would be ready (we wanted to make it to the reception on time)and the Placentia Sam's Machine was broken... so we ran to Jacob's parent's house and I ordered one online for 1 hour photo, got Kira dressed for the reception and off we went to the Sam's Club in Stanton. Jacob ran in and I got a text that the order had not going through.... (UGH!) but the guy told Jacob that he wasn't busy and it would be 10 minutes. So Kira and I ran to CVS to buy some ribbon and a card, drove back to pick up Jacob and off we went. The reception was so fun, they had a live band and great music.





Kira danced all night and we had a great time.
Sunday we spent at my sister and brother in-laws. I made the second part of dinner, Swedish Meatballs. (My mother-in-law mixed the meatballs for me). Kira got to play with her cousins who are all growing up SO fast!!!

The next on Friday, we hit the Henderson Car Show, the weather was good ( a little warm I thought)and we had a great time walking around looking at all the cool cars. At about 4 we walked over to our friends, Ryan and Shelly's and had a "fakesgiving dinner" (just like thanksgiving but in September) and it was great!! Then we all walked back to the car show, although Jacob, Kira and I had to leave after about 45 minutes to get me to the airport so I could fly to Salt Lake.

Grayson and Sullivan (Shelly and Ryan's boys) at their first car show.

Kira taking her pony out

On Saturday morning, I was blessed to be able to go to the Ogden Temple with my little Brother to take out his endowments, (for those of the LDS faith, this just means we went to the temple to be there while Brett made covenants with his Heavenly Father) It was an awesome experience and I'm SO glad I was able to be there! I flew home that night so we could make it to church at least ONCE in the month of September. Uncle "Butt" Brett is getting married here in Vegas on the 20th at the Temple here and we are just so excited!!! We love Amy and can't wait for them to enjoy their lives together. Next post will probably be their wedding, since school and retarded computers are making blogging life frustrating... Until then!

Ey Ey Ey!

So I haven't posted in a while. Our computer has been MIA and I was waiting to post about her birthday and lost some of the pictures (they are not lost completely, just on discs I don't want to dig out)
So I thought I would give you all the rundown of the last couple of weeks... before we finish the last couple of weeks this month. Which will also be crazy but we'll get to that later.
For Kira's birthday we spent the day going out and picking out her new skateboard and helmet....



And in the evening we had a very small impromptu party with some presents and cupcakes, that she helped me make.


Then for Labor Day with our good friends Mike and Krista, we drove down on Friday and hung out for a couple of hours. On Saturday we thought we would check out some old haunts... The Street Fair at the Orange Circle. We walked around, are great little snacks and realized that we are too old for crowded fairs and left about 2 hours later.

(Kira enjoying the mexican music and her chicken tacos)

Then off to 5 Guys for some pretty great hamburgers!
On Sunday, Mike and Krista's nieces and nephews headed over for some good food and some play time.

She got to play dress - up. I almost stole that chewbacca costume, she looked so cute in it!!!

This past weekend Jacob took Kira down for a 16th birthday for some pretty close friends. I had to stay for yet another funeral. Jacob did VERY well with taking care of her by himself for the weekend and I missed her like crazy!!!! I had never been away from her before and she was gone for 2 days!!!

I know she had a great time at the party and she got to play with her cousins on Sunday before she and Jacob drove home.
So stay tuned for the 2nd half of our September!

Another Quick Update

Tom Hanks, who played Joe Fox from You've got mail said. " Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me want to buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address." Well I don't live in New York, but I do get to buy school supplies cause... I'm going back to school.... again. 5th college, 3rd actually University and 58 credits to get done before I can officially get a Bachelors in Liberal Arts, History.... After that I don't know. Maybe a credential but I'll get to that later.

I'm taking 7 credits this semester, which comes out to 3 classes. A Critical Thinking class, a History class and a 1 credit History of Nevada class. I have jumped through enough hoops to make me skinny again and yet there is still one more to jump through. I have to go and prove to them that I am a resident of Nevada so I don't have to pay them 8000 dollars... Crazy but true But at least that means I only have 51 credits to get done after that!

I'm pretty sure my History Concentration will be Early American History with a Minor concentration of British History.... so off I go on the 24th to my first class. The other two classes I will be taking online so my computer will be my new best friend



And speaking of computers, our regular computer has gone to pot and is currently sitting at Fry's Electronics being "diagnosed" I'm fully expecting a it's going to cost 300 dollars call any day now. Total "dummer" as Kira would say. So I am currently using an old cpu from the days when Jacob and Tennille were Jacob Anderson and Tennille Winfrey........ a long time ago..... and it is SOOOOO SLLOOOWWW. I'm going insane and I have to write out our Primary Prgram for October (which I'm sure will be the worse one ever seen by Mormon-kind) and it's taking a long time!

Kira is doing well and will officially be 3 in 25 days! That's pretty unbelievable. She still wants to be 2 1/2 though. She has started to potty train and is doing well with it most of the time. We did our first out of the house with no diaper adventure the other night when we took the computer to Frys and I was in the bathroom no less than 3 times for a total of 30 minutes...... But No accidents so I guess that's ok.

In other news, my Brother Brett (or as we like to call him now Uncle Butt) has asked his sweetheart to marry him and she said YES! We are VERY excited for them both and the day is quickly approaching. They are planning on getting married on October 20th at the Las Vegas Temple, (which I have to say is great for me... no traveling). So their wedding date will be 10/20/2010 or in the non-american way it will be 20/10/2010... which is kinda cool I think.




So that's about it from us. I'm excited to be able to go walking again in the mid-mornings, now that it's not 100 degrees at 9am. So I'm looking forward to getting into better shape. I kinda wish I was a runner but I don't think I have it in me....any tips?

'til next time

Updates

In the last few weeks Kira has....

Gone to the big big toy store with her Gram Gram and cousins

Finished her 2nd round of dance class

Picked peas from her Auntie Hanni's Farm and then fed them to the chickens

Went to nursery at Grandma Jetta's Ward

Played Dress up at Gram Grams

Played on the trampoline with her Uncle Butt (Brett) and her future Auntie Amy

Rode her first skate board (cousin mikey's)

Played with her cousins

Did back flips with Uncle Brett

It's been a busy month and we had tons of fun but we are so glad to be home.

Freda Allene Winfrey

Freda Allene (Bilke) Winfrey

Born :June 3rd 1930

Died: June 21 2010

Up until I was 18 (1998), I had 2 grandma's, 2 grandpas and 2 great-grandmas and a great-grandpa. And we were close to ALL of them except 1 of the great-grandmas that lived in Kansas. Being the only grandchildren (there were 4 of us) on BOTH sides of the family until I was 17 had it's perks. I have been blessed to have had so much love from all of them, and to have known them all.

Yesterday, my grandma died, my father's mother and probably the one I was closest to. I moved in with her and my grandpa on January 1st 1998 after moving down from Seattle where I had been living for 5 months with my Aunt, and before that from Ohio, where I graduated high-school from but hated... with a passion. They took me in, gave me a room, fed me, clothed me at times and were SO patient with me. I was 18, so young, and had some maturing to do.

My grandma helped with school, the place where she went everyday for 26 years. She was supportive of my church activities and welcomed my friends into her home whole heartedly. She was quick to give me a couple bucks here and there and we went on the greatest shopping adventures. This one time we were walking through Macy's and I saw a shirt I.just.had.to.have. and she asked me if I was going to try it on and I said "No!, it will fit." And she said quite loudly while walking across the juniors department, "Well Toni, (my nickname) I think you should.. your boobies are awfully big!"

She had a rough childhood, life in the 30's weren't good for anyone, especially in Kansas. She was on the drill team in high-school and meet my grandpa there.


(she's the 2nd one in)

I don't know how they got together, grandpa or Papa as we call him says, "She just told me what time to show up for the wedding and I was there"








Then my grandpa was drafted, as most men were and he went off to Arkansas for basic. She joined him there not too much after with their first son, Bruce.

My grandpa and grandma love to tell the story about how she had decided one day to make him is favorite dessert, Tapioca Pudding. So she pulls out her recipe book and goes to town with it. She put's all the ingredients in and starts stirring and is frustrated because it's not turning out they was she thinks it should, so she throws it out and starts another. My papa walks in after work and she's in the kitchen stirring away and crying. He asks her what's wrong and she says, "I can't get the lumps out of this stuff!"

They eventually moved to California, where papa began to drive truck and grams stayed home with her kids. They had my Dad and his twin, Michelle in February of 1955 and she worked hard to be the best mom she could be.

I love this picture, they were going to the Orange County fair and there she is dressed to the 9's in heals! No way that happens today!

She threw them awesome parties

Always wanted their holidays to be special

Sewed their clothes

And made halloween costumes.

There are some pretty cool stories about the parties she used to throw for the neighborhood kids. When the kids were almost up and out, she started work. She ended up at Cerritos Community College, where she would put the school catalogs together. This was back before computers and I remember stacks of paper sitting around her house with glue sticks and razor blades. She literally put.together. the school course catalogs by hand and sorted the rooms where the classes met. There was not one part of that school she didn't know like the back of her hand. When I started attending there, the teachers would ask me if I was related to her and when I replied that I was, they always had such nice things to say about her.

She was a GREAT grandma. Holidays were always over the top! She worked hard to make sure that we had the best time possible. Christmas's were great. I always loved Christmas time. Not because I got something but because she would take me shopping to buy for everyone else. It was always a fun day, to think about the people we love and to buy them things we think they would like.

She liked Jacob instantly and was always supportive of our relationship. She wanted him to feel like he was part of the family. She was both happy and sad when we got married. Happy for us but sad that I was leaving. She was happy to hear I was going back to school again and always cheered me on in that regard.

She love love LOVED Kira and couldn't get enough of her. She and my aunt showed up before I went to surgery for the c-section and was there the very next day to meet Kira and to give her love.

She wasn't perfect, she had her problems, prejudices and issues. We all do! But I and a lot of other people love her and will miss her more than I can type out in words. No one ever says, " Man, I wish I saw less of that person." We ALWAYS say, "Man, I wish I could have seen her more often." That's how i have felt these last two years being in Nevada. Not being able to go and see her whenever I wanted. Not giving her as much time as I wanted her to have with Kira. I want Kira to know and love her like I do.

God be with you till we meet again; by his councels guide, uphold you; With his sheep securely fold you. God be with you till we meet again.

God be with you till we meet again; When life's perils thick compound you, Put his arms unfailing round you. God be with you till we meet again.

God be with you till we meet again; Keep love's banner floating o'er you; Smite death's threatening wave before you. God be will you till we meet again.

Till we meet, till we meet, till we meet at Jesus' feet, till we meet till we meet, God be with you till we meet again.

You will be missed Grams. I love you and will see you again with our Heavenly Father and our brother Jesus Christ. I know this! I'm just going to miss you until then.

I love you!

Toni